How to Veganize Any Recipe: Sweet Edition

Dying to revamp a favorite dessert, but don’t know where to start? These expert tips will help you convert any recipe vegan.

The old stereotype of vegan baked goods tasting like shredded wheat squares has been replaced with vegan cupcakes dominating Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, dairy-free doughnuts being crowned the best doughnuts in New York City by the NY Daily News, and dairy-free bakeries popping up all over the country. When it comes to veganizing sweet treats, Allison Rivers Samson of Allison’s Gourmet is an undisputed expert at taking desserts to the upper echelon. Here are her top substitution tips for vegan baking.

Binding AgreementsFor desserts that call for gelatin (a by-product of meat processing), try using agar agar powder or flakes. This great thickening agent is made from seaweed. When purchasing agar agar powder, be sure to read the ingredients list—it shouldn’t have any additives in it (a common one to look for is tapioca flour). Citrus-based desserts will need more agar agar because the acidity of the fruit makes it harder for agar to set. Arrowroot powder can replace processed cornstarch. Tapioca flour or starch works well as a lighter option than arrowroot, which can have a stringy texture. Kuzu root starch is ideal for pudding-like desserts.Try These: Crème BrûléeGluten-Free Chocolate Strawberry PieVegan Samoas

Dairy Doubles With the wide variety of non-dairy milks on the market, you can easily replace dairy milk in any recipe in a one-to-one ratio. Rivers Samson likes to use almond milk for a creamy, light flavor, but mainly uses coconut milk for its richness. She suggests opting for unsweetened varieties so you have more control over the sweet levels. Full-fat canned coconut milk or soy creamer is a great stand-in for heavy cream. To replace buttermilk, combine 1 tablespoon of a sour liquid (lemon juice, lime juice, or apple cider vinegar) and 1 cup non-dairy milk, whisk, and let sit for 10 minutes.Try These: DIY Almond MilkHot Chocolate Ice CreamVegan Lemon Curd

Egg Exchange Replacing eggs in baking can be tricky, but Rivers Samson has some simple guidelines.

If you only need to substitute one egg, use 2 tablespoons water.

To substitute 2 to 3 eggs, for each egg that the recipe calls for, use one of the following:

Now that you’ve learned some secret tricks to substituting for dairy and eggs in tasty treats, it’s time to get in the kitchen. Peruse the VegNews Must-Make Vegan Desserts Pinterest board for even more drool-worthy recipes. Happy baking!